Will curvy new Sports Illustrated model Kate Wasley be the next Ashley Graham?

Australian curvy model Kate Wasley will be following in the footsteps of supermodel Ashley Graham. The 23-year-old beauty will be part of this year’s Sport’s Illustrated swimsuit issue and has hopes of being named the rookie of the year.

Wasley is a fierce body-positive activist. Alongside fellow Aussie model Georgia Gibbs, she has created an Instagram page called Any BODY, with the slogan “beauty has no boundaries.” Their aim is to create a safe place where women of all shapes and sizes are equally celebrated. Gibbs was also selected to be part of the SI swimsuit issue.

In a recent interview she told Sports Illustrated, “I want to see more plus-size models in advertising, especially in main brands. There’s a lot of progress, but there’s still only a few, mature brands using plus-size models. I want to see it more in younger brands. I want to see the Australian market take it up as well. And I just want to keep inspiring women however I can.”

Wasley is also constantly preaching body positivity to her 175,000 Instagram followers. In a recent post, the model captioned a bikini photo: “If people say nasty things to about you or your appearance, remember that there’s nothing wrong with being confident (thanks, Demi); it stems from their insecurities — you’re NEVER going to please everyone so you might as well wear whatever you want.”

In another post, the model opened up about her own insecurities and her journey to loving and accepting her body. Wasley wrote: “I’ve gone from eating crap every day and never exercising, being so uneducated about health and fitness that I didn’t even know where to start, to eating spinach and tuna day in day out, genuinely not knowing how to eat more than 800 calories, never going out with friends, hating my body and beating myself up if I wasn’t constantly in calorie deficit, to being qualified in personal training and halfway through a nutrition and health promo degree and in a place where I have found balance and acceptance of my size and shape.”

“Getting here hasn’t been easy, but it is possible, and I still have days where I doubt myself or I wish I could change things about my appearance; I’m only human. But for the most part, I love myself; I accept cellulite and stretch marks as a part of growing up and my body changing. And it’s important to realize that even the healthiest of people have these. Why? Because they’re human too. It’s not our fault that we are made to see them as ‘imperfections’ because if you haven’t noticed, the ‘ideal/healthy’ body is marketed to us as a flawless size 8/10, with curves In the ‘right places’, perfectly airbrushed skin with no scars, marks, cellulite or pimples. It’s everywhere, force fed to us from such a young age that flawless perfection equals self-worth and beauty.”

“Social media has such a big influence on our lives and how we feel about our bodies because it is flooded with the ‘ideal’ version of beauty. What they don’t show you is that bodies come in all different shapes, colors, sizes and we all have different markings. This is normal and beautiful. It makes us who we are. It makes us human. I could go on for ages. For now, just keep pushing forward, remind yourself of how much you have to offer the world; what other people think of you, doesn’t matter. You are you and that’s a beautiful power in itself,” she wrote.

And her message is resonating with her audience. A commenter wrote, “You look amazing! Thank you, I start to feel more confident with my shape … still working on this.” Another commenter added, “Love this. Woman empowerment is so important. All women should wake up and realize the second you stop comparing yourself to one another and open your eyes to appreciate and empower one another, the world becomes more beautiful.”

Although the cover girl of the 2018 SI swimsuit issue is usually kept under wraps until the magazine hits the stands, it would be a career-changer for Wasley should she be the one to grace the cover. We’re rooting for you, Kate!